Annealing-box.



F. 001mm.

ANNEALING BOX. APPLICATION FILED 11IA11. 2 7,1911.

Pa tentedDec.19,191-1.

INVENTOR.

WITNESSES.

UN TED s'rATEsPA ENT OFFICE.

FRANK oomans, or HuLToN sTATIo PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED ENG i- N ERING AND FOUNDRY COMPANY, OF' PITTSBURGH, 'iPENNSYLVANIA} ACOBPORA- HON or tENNsYLvANra.

To all whom it may concern! 3 Be known that I, FRANK Couonsf a, citizen of the United Statesgand resident of Hultonstation, in the county of Allegheny andState ofjPnnsylvania. have invented a new and useful. Improvement in Annealing-Boxes; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact descrip-' tion thereof. r I Y My invention relates v to annealing boxes, andhas for its object the provision of a noveland useful,form -of box better suited to stand up and retain its shape under the excess vely high temperatures and successive expansions and contractions to which boxes of thisnature are subjected in use...

The princlpalfeatures of my present 1n;

'vention are preferably embodied in acast metal box of the int'egral type the whole box beingv preferablycast in one piece of iron. or-steel; Ttwill be understood, how- :ever, that all the, element-sot my invention are not Irecessarily confined to boxes'having allthe walls integrally cast, but that myinvention' contemplates the provision of a cast 3, thus forming] an inverted truss framework for the box 1. extending continuously metal annealingjbox having side and end.

W3.llS and a roof preferably of arched "form joining the same, .said \valls having ex external outwardly extend ng bracing ribs .or .colnirns arranged at suitable mtervals to strengthenth'e; walls and prevent thesag-.

ging .of the roof,- said bracing ribs prefer 1' tially flat or, at: least-:unbroken inner wall in which but asingle'wall thickness ofjcor- I I preferably PIOVlClECl w thv the depending face, is provided, the external bracing rib constructiontherefore. affording additional strength and: preventing the elongation. and distortion which is present in thoseboxes rugated form is provided.

My present invention further .contem-- plates the provision in such boxes of continuous exterior. ribs or columns ,of hollow,

.orcI sed channel-form whichfare particu larly adapted to protect'portions of the walls .and to provide for a the circulation around theannealing boxer the hot air and,-

ANNEALING-BOX.

I specification'ot Letters Patent. "Pafented'Dec;191911I "a pl cati nfilea mart zv',191i. serialNogeiaia.

gas of the annealing furnaceind cating the box and of the atmospher'ici ah in cooling the'boxJ U m Inthe accompanying,drawing Figure 1 is .a side' elevation partly in vertical, longi tudinirl-sction of an annealing 'box gillustrating I11y1IlVentl011. ;,F1g. 2'is aplan view partly in section of the box illustrated .in

Fig. 1 and Fig. 3 is an end viewzof the same; Fig. 4 is avertical. transverse section on the line 4- 4 Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a detail horizontal section through a channel rib on the :1ine 5 5 Fig. 3;v iand Fig. 6' is a view similar to Fig. 5 illustratinga modification. 'The b0x- 1 illustrated isin' the .form of an integral. casting having the side walls I 2, roof wall 3 and endfwalls 4.. Arranged externallyand extending vertically a t-pin? tervals up the side walls 2 are theintegral bracing ribs or columns 5. The ribs 5are preferably of {hollow .or channel form as illustrated and continue on the roof 3.- T he bracing ribs. 5 also preferably extend'con tinuously around thesideyalls 2 and roof across the side wall a'n-d roofdthereof. The side walls 2, as WeIl'asthe roof wall 3, are

constructed of continuing contour and thick-' ness immediately inside of the bracing ribs 5. Thus: the portion 2 of the sidewall 2 is continuous-therewith interiorly of the rib 5. In like nanriefthe portion 3 of the roof wall 3 is preferably provided continuous with. the roof wall proper. Thebracingrib is thus arranged to have an external thickness in addition to that of theiwall proper, which is of substantiallylunbroken contour interiorly 'ofsaid rib As illustratedin the drawings the sidewalls 2 have their inner faces 9"..substantially. fiat or planeifrom end to end so that thtendency t0 permanentv elongation and consequentinjurious strain due to uneven. and imperfect contraction after excessive expansion is ob 'viated The roof 3 is of arched form and v is midway between theexternalribs 5.1 The external ribs 5, being dastintegral with the side walls '3, areprovided with the bottom openings 10 above the base flange 11 of the box, which rests directly on the supporting base forthe castings. The roof portion of the ribs 5 also has the holes or aperturesv 12 .opening outwardly from the channel '6 within the rib 5. The heated air and gases naturally rise in their circulation wtihin the annealing oven and thus. pass upwardly through the channels 6 and out of the apertures 12' The same. construction of external ribszc'an be employed in the end walls,

' the ribs libeing illustrated as extending up over saidend walls and over the roofand connecting with the roof ribs 5 nearest the end wall, and itrnay alsobe employed in any longitudinal portion ofthe box, forexample, connecting the side ribs 5, as illus trated M15, or connecting the .roofribs 5, as illustrated at 16.= By the employmentxof such external ribsI am enabled to formthe main body of the box'having walls of substantially the same thickness throughout and to properlybrace the same bymeans'of such vertically extending externalv .rib's carried continuously from the side or endYwalls over onto the root. In the-use of such-exter- I nal bracing ribs of hollow formias -above described, I obtain a'peculiar action .ll'ldfll) supportof the box body both in'heating-the same and in subsequent coolingr .In the heating up of the box'the external hollow ribs protect thecontinuing portions ofthc box body within the same. fronrthe heatand flame so that the portions of the box body so covered by theribs remain cooler and stifier than the portions of the box body exposed to the direct action of the heat and flame, thus aidingin bracing the body of the box wherever said hollow ribs are located,

while the hollow ribs on account of their arched shape also stifi'en and strengthen the box body. In cooling the box these external ribs on account of the circulation of the air in contact w1th both the exterior and in- -terior"of the rib walls, cool more rapidly than the body ofthe box and inv so cooling actto stiffen and strengthen the whole structure. Theportions of the box wallsprotected by such ribs, for example, the portions 2.

being protected from direct contact of. the

circulating air, may not cool as rapidlyas the main portions of the box walls, but the exterior ribs being so constructed that they cool more rapidly than the body of the box,

asabove stated, stiffen the box body especially inthe portions thereof so protected by a the ribs, and therefore the portions of the box body pro cted by the ribs act with them tosust-ainth weight of the box inheatlng, and the ribs because they cool more rapidly than the .box body servetocstiilen the same in cooling. The bracingribs 5, 14 thereforeact as columns which positively support thewall portions of theanneailiiig box 'whenat'high temperature, both during the heating up and the cooling down stages. While I have referred to'thes'e members as ribs it in the accompanyin claims, it will be understood that I regal: their useand form-of construction as vbroadly'new, and that the term hollow closed fornflis intended to designate any rib or column'having a channel oraperture within'it and between its wall and that of the box proper,

the box wall inside of the rib forming with the rib in eflect a closed hollow column.

although the rib, considered by itself'is of channel or of modified channel form.

Fig. 6 illustrates a modified form of external bracing ribs 17 of T shap'e. The side wall18 is shown of unbroken contour within the rib, and is further connected thereto and braced by the cross .webs 19 joining the longitudinal web '20 and flangeQl; This ispecifichform'i ofnrib, togetherwith other thickness and unbroken contour interiorly cfsaidribs. a

2. An integral cast metal annealing box having side walls and a roofandprovided -withupwardly extending bracing ribs arranged atintervals in said side walls and extending continuously over said roof, said walls and root being of continuous, thickness and unbroken contourtinteriorly of said ribs. 3. An: integral cast metal annealing box having side walls and a roof connecting the same and provided with external bracing ribs arranged at intervals and extending continuously around said walls and roof,

said walls androof being of continuous thickness and unbroken contour; interiorly of said ribsand having internal bracing ribs, substantially as described. i v 7-4 An annealing box having integral side walls andgroof, external-bracing ribsarranged at intervals andextending continuously around said walls and roof, and inter nal depending ribs arranged at intervals between said bracingmembers and ext-ending transversely to bracesaid roof, substantially asdescribed.

5.- A cast metal annealing box having side walls and an'arched roof integral therewith and provided with externally arranged continuous bracing ribsextending around the box, the side and roof walls being of continuous thickness and unbroken contour interiorly of said ribs, and the roof having flanges arranged between said ribs.

6. An annealing box having its walls provided wit-h bracing ribs of. closed hollow form, substantially as described.

7. An annealing box having side walls provided with externally arranged bracing ribs of closed hollow form.

8. A cast metal annealing box having side walls and a roof integrally connecting the same, and bracing ribs of closed hollow form extending upwardly on said side walls and continuing on said roof.

9. A cast metal annealing box having integral side Walls and roof provided with bracing ribs of closed hollow form arranged at intervals and extending continuously around said walls and roof.

10. A cast metal annealing box havingside walls and a roof integrally connecting the same, and externally arranged bracing ribs of hollow form extending continuously around said walls and roof, said walls being of continuous thickness and unbroken contour within said ribs, substantially as described.

11. An annealing box provided with side and roof Walls and having bracing ribs of hollow form extending up said'side walls and continuing over said roof, said hollow ribs being provided with openings at their lower ends and apertures in their upper portions, substantially as-described.

12. An annealing box having a roof wall provided with interior transverse bracing ribs and side walls provided with vertically arranged bracing ribs of closed hollow form extending upwardly to brace said roof.

18. An annealing box of the character described having side and end walls and a roof, said side walls being provided with bracing ribs of closedhollow form extending upwardly and continuing on said roof, and said roof having like bracing ribs intersecting with aforesaid ribs.

14. An annealing box of the character described having side, end and roof walls and bracing ribs of closed hollow form arranged on each of said walls.

15. An annealing box having side walls and a roof and upwardly extending bracing ribs of closed hollow form arranged at intervals along said side walls, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I the said FRAxx Connrs, have hereunto set my hand.

FRANK CORDES.

Witnesses:

ROBERT C. Torrnx, JOHN F. WILL. 

